Cover for loose-leaf binders



Feb. 3, 1931. c. D. TRUSSELL 1,790,779 COVER FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Sept. 25 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W 5 5-) a 9:, w #1 a R E 5* If E ,B 2 T'i INVENTOR By Attorneys,

@Qmm 9W Feb. 3, 1931. c. D. TRUSSELL 1,790,779

COVER FOR LOOSE LEAF BINDERS Filed Sept. 25, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR By Attorneys,

arxmm WW Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I CLARENCE n. TRUSSELL, OF POUGHKEEPSIEJ NEW YORK, AssIG'NoB. T TRUSSELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK, A. CORPORATION or NEW YORK COVER FOR LOOSE-LEAF IBINDERS Application filed September 25, 1928. Serial No. 308,210.

This invention relates to the constructionof the back of a book cover having a metal stiffening plate therein. Book covers so constructed are most commonly used for looseleaf hinders, although also applicable for account books and other uses. In some cases the back and sides are united by flexible hinges of leather or other material: in other cases the back and sides are united by alternating metallic hinge eyes connected by hinge pins or pintles. For the backs of such books, it is a suitable and desirable construction to split a piece of leather of suitable thickness as to form leather flaps having integral connection at the sides of the cover back and with their free edges approaching each other along the middle of the inner side of the back, the curved metal plate being inserted in the leather back. and the flaps on its inner side being folded down and united by glue or other'cement to the concave face of the metal.

The present invention applies to book backs of this character, and has for its object to replace the cementing of the leather to the metal by a fastening means which admits of application by whatl may call an instantaneous dry process as compared with the gluing inethod heretofore used. which is a wet process and which requires a long period of drying before the cemented union iscomplete.

To this end. the back plate is formed with integral spurs struck up from it in such manner as to form sharp edges adapted to enter the leather and under pressure to penetrate the leather. These spurs project from the plate initially in directions approaching. more or less. to the perpendicular. but being preferably slightly inclined so that when 0 subjected to pressure they will enter obliquely into the superposed leather and be themselves bent or partially flattened by such pressure. so that as they are bent downward they exert a stretching action against the leather. acting to draw it smoothly down so as to prevent wrinkling, and serving to hold the leather closely to the concave face of the metal plate. The spurs are preferably V shaped, so that their apexs form sharp edges which readily cut into the leather and may go entirely,

through it, while their inclined edges which wedge themselves into '"the leather, thereby gain such hold upon the leather that, as the spurs are forced down, they are enabled to draw the leather with them and thereby stretch it.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 shows theinner side of a book cover having an integral back and sides, with the back stiffened by a metal plate fastened according to the present invention, the leather flaps being partly broken away to show the metal plate.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the cover back. y

Fig. 3 is a similar transverse section through the back of a; book, showing the operation.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of a fragment of the inner side of the construction shown in Fig. 3. the leather flaps being partly broken away.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged cross-sections showing successive stages in the operation.

Figs. 8. 9 and 10 are similar views of a slightly modified construction.

Referring to the drawings, the book cover comprises a back A and book sides B, B, united either by the usual integral hinge portions 0 or otherwise. Within the book back A is the metal stiffening plate C. The leather of the. book back comprises an outer layer which is carried around the convex outerface of the metal plate. and an inner layer, best formed as two flaps D. D. which may be turned up to permit the metal plate to be inserted beneath them and then laid down upon it and eventually fastened securely to its inner or concave face. The best way to form these I flaps is to groove the leather on the inner side along the middle'of the back and then split it v by cutting in both directions from such groove broader or base portions are attached to the plate at their sides most remote from the middle. The spurs may be more or less numerous, and more or less closely spaced, as may be desired. They are shown in Fig. 1 as being formed in two rows, one for each flap, whereas in Fig. 4, they are shown as formed in four rows, two for-each flap. The spurs are struck up initially so as to project abruptly from the plate and in a direction more or less approaching to perpendicularity. This is to enable them, as theleather flap and plate are pressed together,-t0 readily enter into the leather of the flap, cutting their way into the leather so as to secure a hold thereon, and, under continuing pressure, to bend 'down while further entering the leather, until they have penetrated deeply into the leather, with their sharp points or tips usually passing through the leather, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Thus the folding down of the spurs under pressure serves to draw or stretch the leather of the flap, exerting tension along its transverse dimension and consequently keeps it smooth and prevents wrinkling. The spurs also have the function of drawing the leather down into the concave of the plate. Incidentally, they stretch the leather around the outer or convex side of the plate; for best accomplishing this purpose, the pocket formed under the flaps should be only deep enough to admit the width of the plate, as otherwise the stretching action would be ineffectual except over the inner flaps. The operation of inserting the spurs will be better understood by reference to Figs. 5. 6, and 7, where the parts are shown on an enlarged scale. In Fig. 5, the flap D is lying down upon the point of the spur a in the position occupied before the parts are squeezed between the dies of the press. As this. squeeze is imparted, the sharp point of the spur cuts into the leather, and in Fig. 6 it is shown as having cut'about half through the flap in so doing the spur has been partly bent down to a lower angle so that its point within the flap is exerting a stretching action thereon. completed, the spur having been forced down to a lower position, in the course of which its tip portion has penetrated through the flap,

and the spur is here shown 1 ing obliquely =w1th1n the thlckness ofthe leat er; in passing In Fig. 7 the operation is from Fig. 6 position to that of Fig. 7 ,the

stretching action is continued.

It will be observed that the striking up of the spurs leaves under each spur a hole 6 in the metal plate. In the clinching down of the spurs by the stamping action of the press between the concave and convex faces of the dies, the spur is inclined over and the leather partly driven down into this hole I), as shown in Fig. 7 This adds to the effectiveness of the hold upon the leather accomplished by the clinching down of the spurs.

The present invention accomplishes an im-' portant improvement over the old gluing or cementing method. With that method, the glue has to be applied to the surfaces of the leather which are to be cemented to the plate; the plate has to be inserted against these freshly glued surfaces, which is a difiicult and troublesome operation the book back has then to be placed under pressure between respectively concave and convex forming surfaces, and held under such pressure for at least a day or longer, until the glue has thoroughly set and made a reliable bond between the leather and metal. In the factory, the stacking up of the alternated cover backs and forms is a troublesome operation, and the covers occupy many times the room that they did before the inetal back plates were inserted. The present invention, by compari son, avoids the disagreeable manipulation of a glue brush and the insertion of the plate against sticky su'rfabes; the plate is put into place under the uplifted flaps and the book back is given one blow in a press between suitable dies; the operation is thus instantaneous,

and being a dry process, the cover back requires no later treatment or handling. The other parts requisite to the construction of the complete binder may be at once applied and the goods immediately shipped out. The stock of leather covers is stored in the flat, occupying but little space, and the metal plates are inserted only as the coversare wanted and just before the complete assembling of the parts constituting the binder.

The shape of the spurs may be varied with- In practical limits; and it is not essential that the spurs be initially inclined. Fig. 8 shows a form of spur a. which is perpendicular to the plate and both its tip and base are equally distant from the edge e of the plate. Such a I The invention is susceptible of other modifications, as will be apparent to anyone skilled in the art.

I am aware that a metal back plate has had spurs or tongues struck up from it and caused to penetrate a covering material in which the back plate is enclosed and Which is glued to it; but the spurs have not been so shaped that in being bent down they exert a stretching or tightening action upon the leather. On the contrary, such spurs have been applied solely for attaching some other member, such as the inner margins of the cover sides, to the-back; and they have not been applied asa substitute for the gluing of the covering material to the metal plate.

Throughout the specification, I have referred to the cover material as'of leather, which is the preferable material, but may be substituted by other suitable materials, which are to be regarded as equivalents of leather.

\Vhile the spurs preferably have cutting points, they may be formed as rounded ears or tongues having cutting edges, or if the slots they are to enter in the flaps are previously punched, the tongues or ears need not themselves be adapted to cut their way in.

I claim as my invention:

1. A binder including a cover having its back portion split and undercut on its inner side to form a pair of flaps, a metal plate inserted beneath said flaps and provided with spurs, said spurs bein embedded in the flaps and exerting tension along the transverse dimension of each.

2. A binder including a cover having its back portion split and undercut on its inner side to form a air of flaps, a curved metal plate inserted iieneath said flaps and provided with spurs on its concave face, said spurs being embedded in the flaps and exerting tension along the transverse dimension of each whereby the cover material is held snugly against the convex back of the plate without the use of adhesive. g

3. A binder according to claim 1 in which the spurs penetrate through the flaps.

4. A binder according to claim 1 in which the spurs penetrate through the flaps and in which the portion of the spur surrounded by the material of the flap is inclined toward the center line of the metalvplate.

5. A binder according to claim 1 in which the metal plate is provided with a hole adjacent each spur and between the base of ,the spur and the center line of the back plate and in which the spur is inclined over said hole.

6. A binder according to claim 1 in which the metal plate is provided with a hole adjacent each spur and between the base of the spur and the center line-of the metal plate and in which a portion of the material of the flap is held b said s ur in said hole.

7. The metho of ma 'ng a book which consists in undercutting the cover material in a plane parallel to its surface and in opposite directions from its approximate center line to form a pair of flaps and a pocket beneath said flaps, then insertin a metal plate of substantially the same wi th as that of the pocket, then securing the flaps down on one face of the metal plate by means adapt- Ed also to exert tension inwardly of each I n Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

CLARENCE D. TRUSSELL. 

